On April 4, 2025, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit to block implementation of Trump’s executive order attempting to upend elections. The order purported to direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to change the federal voter registration form, which requirements are dictated by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), by adding a documentary proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration conducted on federal forms. This requirement was also extended to military and overseas voters, including for state elections. The order also sought to commandeer the EAC by changing voting system standards and banning voting systems that print votes using QR or bar codes. It attempted to upend state election laws by prohibiting any state from accepting absentee ballots after Election Day. It also would strip states of federal funding if they fail to adhere to the arbitrary requirements established in the order.

On January 9, 2026, a federal judge granted a permanent injunction halting the enforcement of key provisions of Trump’s elections executive order.  The judge ruled that the president had no authority to impose new election rules that threatened to disenfranchise voters and override state law. The court also found the order violated the Constitution by attempting to concentrate election power in the presidency.

Today’s ruling is a huge victory for voters in Washington and Oregon, and for the rule of law. The court enforced the long-standing constitutional rule that only states and Congress can regulate elections, not the Election Denier-in-Chief. Attorney General Nick Brown